I wore my new “Apres Yoga” purple sweatshirt today, thinking it was cooler than it was, fooled by the glints of red in the trees I’d glimpsed this weekend in Ottawa. No need to relinquish summer sooner than required; if you’re like me then you hang onto the last bits of it.
I saw Tom Green at Yuk Yuk’s in Ottawa this weekend – he joked that after 20 years of doing comedy in LA, he was back in Britannia. The pinnacle of success. The host, Rachelle Elie, was fantastic, and I think she gave parents heart attacks talking about the sexual exploits of her son. Tom sang a few songs and played his guitar, and I clinked glasses with him and said “Cheers” as he left after finishing his set.
I visited the Humanics Institute while in Ottawa, a beautiful sanctuary in the forest where Gods are hidden in the trees. There is a section for every denomination – the Buddha resting above the water, Lakshmi and Vishnu nestled in the trees, while Ganesh sleeps, unperturbed by the caterpillar on his forehead. It rained while I was there, but I had my umbrella and the trees to protect me, and carefully stayed on the paths because I was wearing new shoes that I didn’t want to muddy. On the way home I stopped downtown and discovered Ten Toes Coffee, a funky cafe attached to a laundromat that has a DJ on friday nights, who knew Ottawa could be cool?! The last time I was there I’m pretty sure all I was doing is hanging out with the geese.
Tonight I have my advanced stand-up comedy class with Rebecca Reeds at the Comedy Bar. It’s such a great group – everyone is super funny and collaborative. It’s been refreshing getting heartfelt and valuable feedback, and being inspired once again by the courage it takes to get up there and share your vulnerabilities while trying to be funny and entertain. Rebecca encourages us to include a big of bragging along with the self-deprecation that is common in comedy. If you are too self-deprecating, you may begin to believe it. Coincidentally Rebecca shared a story about how she once opened for Tom Green in Ottawa, and bombed pretty bad – so bad that she accepted a loose pill from a woman’s purse after the show.
I’m at Hale Coffee, one of my favourite coffee shops on Dupont, with white flowers hanging in strands from the ceiling. It looks like it used to be a house, because I’m facing a clear garage door that may even open (oh it just did!). It’s a huge industrial space, which allows the tables to be spaced out and you can actually have work meetings without feeling like people can hear every word. And now I know to order my cappuccinos extra-hot, so that they last a little longer. Kind of like the summer.
I’m re-reading “It could be worse, you could be me” by Ariel Leve, a fellow neurotic and writer that talks about her day-to-day living in NYC and somewhat pessimistic and resigned view of the world. Anti-social yet craving connection. Hilariously sarcastic and poignant.
Relationship advice is tricky. This is when close friendships are put to the test. I never listen. If I listened every time someone told me, “Stay away from that guy,” I’d still be a virgin.
– Ariel Leve
Can there be such a thing as too much nostalgia? Too many fond memories of the past that keeps you from truly experiencing the beauty of the present moment? I once heard that writers get to experience life twice – once while living it, and another while writing about it. Or three times if you’re a thinker. Or infinite times if you’re a dreamer.
She's Come Undone 